This invention relates to a jack holder, and in particular to a jack holder for use on small trucks and recreational vehicles.
Small truck owners in general do not use the jack supplied as an accessory with their truck since such standard jacks are of flimsy construction and lack stability at their maximum operating height. It is therefore common for a truck owner to purchase a second jack, for example a "Jackall" (Registered Trade Mark of J. C. Hallman and Company) jack, to more satisfactorily meet their requirements for tire changing operations, vehicle repairs and the lifting of heavy objects other than their vehicle. Such additional jacks are generally too bulky to store behind a truck seat, and because there is no luggage compartment or trunk in most small trucks, the jacks are usually left lying loose in the truck box. The jacks tend to rattle noisily, are often in the way, may be difficult to find when needed, and become dirty, clogged and/or damaged thus preventing proper functioning of the jacks.
Because of the requirements for compactness and maximum utilization of available space, recreational vehicles are usually equipped with a small compartment, typically in the rear of the vehicle, for storage of a jack. Often the compartment is covered by a spare tire and a bracket for holding the tire. Thus, it is difficult to gain access to the jack.
The jacks in question generally include a base, a post mounted on the base and a lifting assembly movable along the post. The jack holders for such jacks include first and second spaced apart brackets for retaining the base and post of the jack, a third bracket intermediate the first and second brackets, and a helical spring extending between the third bracket and the lifting assembly, so that movement of the lifting assembly along the post locks the jack in the storage position. A jack holder of this type is disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 2,631,766, issued to N. T. kelley on Mar. 17, 1953. The Kelley jack storage structure or similar structures are still found in the trunks of many motor vehicles. The Kelley structure includes a mounting bracket connected at one end to a vertical wall of a vehicle compartment and at the other end to an L-shaped vehicle tire mounting bracket. The mounting bracket of the jack storage structure is notched for receiving the rod portion of a jack in the stored position. An anchor bracket secured to the floor of the trunk retains the base of the jack. A third bracket is secured to the trunk floor between the mounting and anchor brackets for receiving one end of a helical spring, the other end of which is detachably engageable with the lift member on the jack.
While the Kelley structure just described is useful in ordinary motor vehicles equipped with a trunk, the structure cannot be used on an exterior wall of a truck or recreational vehicle. A carrying structure that could be employed on an exterior wall of a truck or recreational vehicle is described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,248,170, which issued to R. G. Hansen on July 8, 1971. In its simplest form, the device disclosed by the Hansen patent includes a frame for mounting on an automobile, with a fixed semi-cylindrical clamp section in the frame, a co-acting semi-cylindrical clamp section movable in the frame, and a bolt for engaging the movable clamp section and moving it towards or away from the fixed clamp section. The portion of the frame carrying the movable clamp section is pivotally connected to the remainder of the frame which is connected to the automobile for opening and closing the frame. The clamp sections are lined with a yieldable material such as cork, rubber or felt.
The Hansen bracket device is intended to facilitate the carrying of poles or the like and is open at both ends. While the same or a similar structure could be used to carry jacks, the structure possesses the obvious disadvantage of leaving the movable lifting portions of the jack exposed to the elements.
The object of the present invention is to obviate or at least alleviate the above-mentioned difficulties and disadvantages by providing a relatively simple jack holder, which can be mounted on an exterior surface of a truck or recreational vehicle where it is readily accessible to the user, and which protects the movable portions of the jack from the elements.